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Serial stowaway ordered held for mental health exam

A serial stowaway from Grayslake who defied an order to stay away from O'Hare International Airport will remain behind bars after a judge ordered her Wednesday to undergo a mental health exam.

Marilyn Hartman, 66, was arrested Sunday, just days after being ordered by a judge to stay away from airports after illegally boarding a flight from Chicago to London without a ticket. She was arrested in London earlier this month and flown back to Chicago.

Hartman was argumentative with both her attorney and the judge during the first of two Wednesday morning hearings. She was admonished by one judge for interrupting her attorney, Assistant Public Defender Parle Roe-Taylor.

When the judge asked if Hartman had family locally, Roe-Taylor replied that she did, but Hartman said, "No I don't."

Hartman appeared upset about questions regarding mental health care. Roe-Taylor told the judge Hartman wasn't in treatment, but an animated Hartman told the judge she was seeing someone for treatment.

During a second hearing Wednesday dealing with her felony charges, Hartman was more subdued, neither saying anything nor contradicting Roe-Taylor.

Her next court date is Feb. 13.

She was charged with trespassing and violating the conditions of her bail after her most recent arrest.

Hartman has a history of sneaking onto planes or trying to do so at O'Hare and at other airports.

In August 2014, Hartman slipped onto a Southwest Airlines flight from San Jose to Los Angeles without a ticket. She pleaded guilty to stowaway-related charges.

In April, May and July 2015, Chicago police arrested her on charges of criminal trespass and violating probation in four separate occurrences at O'Hare and Midway airports.

Hartman also was arrested in February 2014 after trying to sneak onto three different airplanes headed for Hawaii at San Francisco International Airport, officials said at the time of Hartman's 2016 arrest on charges of violating terms of her probation by showing up at O'Hare.

Judges in the past have been perplexed about Hartman.

"I don't believe she belongs in the criminal justice system. The traditional way we've handled this case hasn't been the most successful," said Roe-Taylor, who asked the judge to release Hartman to a secure facility outside of the jail.

"She's having a difficult time. I am looking into what we have in terms of alternative resources for her custody."

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